Blueberry plant named &#39;Alba&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Blueberry cultivar is provided that is the product of a controlled breeding program followed by selection. The cultivar flowers and forms fruit at mid-season. The attractive firm light blue flattened-round berries exhibit a pleasant acid blueberry flavor. The plant commonly requires cross pollination, and displays a generally upright growth habit with attractive evergreen foliage. A low chilling requirement is also exhibited.

BOTANICAL/COMMERCIAL CLASSIFICATION

Vaccinium corymbosum L./Blueberry Plant

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

cv. Alba

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Blueberry cultivar of the present invention was the product of controlled artificial pollination carried out in a greenhouse at Greenwood, Fla., U.S.A., wherein two parents were crossed which previously had been studied in the hope that they would contribute the desired characteristics. The female parent (i.e., the seed parent) was the unreleased ‘FL 95-209B’ cultivar (non-patented in the United States). The male parent (i.e., pollen parent) was the unreleased ‘FL 97-24’ cultivar (non- patented in the United States). The parentage of the new cultivar can be summarized as follows:

‘FL 95-209B’×‘FL 97-24’.

The seeds resulting from the pollination were shipped to Almonte, Huelva, Spain, where they sown during approximately 1999, small plants were obtained which were physically and biologically different from each other and selective research of the progeny was carried out. Selective study during the spring of 2003 resulted in the identification of a single plant of the new cultivar. This plant initially was designated S03-19-02.

It was found that the new Blueberry plant of the present invention displays the following combination of characteristics:

-   -   (a) flowers and forms fruit at mid-season,     -   (b) displays a generally upright growth habit with attractive         evergreen foliage,     -   (c) commonly requires cross pollination for a good fruit set and         quality,     -   (d) displays a low chilling requirement, and     -   (e) forms in abundance attractive firm light blue         flattened-round berries that exhibit a pleasant acid blueberry         flavor.

The new cultivar well meets the needs of the horticultural industry and can be grown to advantage for the commercial production of blueberries. The yield time is compact and the berries are well suited for machine harvest.

The new cultivar of the present invention can be distinguished from its ancestors and all other Blueberry cultivars known to its originators. When compared to the ‘Santa Fe’ cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,788), the ‘Santa Fe’ cultivar commonly requires a significantly longer chill requirement of approximately 600 hours. When compared to the ‘Windor’ cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,783), the ‘Windor’ cultivar commonly displays a shorter growth habit that is more round in configuration. When compared to the ‘O'Neal’ cultivar (non-patented in the United States), the ‘O'Neal’ cultivar forms darker blue berries and a longer chill requirement of approximately 500 hours. The new cultivar is less susceptible to Leaf Rust than the ‘Blue Crisp’ cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,033), and is more susceptible to Stem Blight than the ‘Star’ cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,675).

The new cultivar has been asexually reproduced by the rooting of cuttings beginning during the summer of 2003 at Almonte, Huelva, Spain. Such asexual propagation has shown that the characteristics of the new cultivar are firmly fixed and are stably transmitted from one generation to another. Accordingly, the new cultivar asexually reproduces in a true to type manner.

The new cultivar has been named ‘Alba’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show in color as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in color illustrations of this character, typical plants and plant parts of the new cultivar. The plants which had been asexually reproduced by the rooting of cuttings, and were being grown outdoors at Almonte, Huelva, Spain.

FIG. 1 shows an overall view of a typical fruiting plant of the new cultivar where the generally upright growth habit is illustrated.

FIG. 2 shows a close view of typical flowers of the new cultivar.

FIG. 3 shows upper (adaxial) surfaces of typical leaves of the new cultivar.

FIG. 4 shows under (abaxial) surfaces of typical leaves of the new cultivar.

FIG. 5 shows a close view of typical berries of the new cultivar in various stages of development as well as the foliage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of the colors described herein is the R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England. Ordinary color terms are to be accorded their customary dictionary significance. The description is based on the observation of approximately four-year-old plants of the new cultivar which had been asexually reproduced by the rooting of softwood cuttings while growing outdoors at Almonte, Huelva, Spain.

-   Plant:     -   -   Growth habit.—generally upright.         -   Height.—approximately 1.6 m at 4 years of age.         -   Width.—approximately 2.6 m at 4 years of age.         -   Foliage retention.—evergreen.         -   Chill requirement.—less than approximately 300 hours, and             sometimes less than 250 hours. -   Foliage:     -   -   Shape.—generally elliptic (as illustrated).         -   Length.—commonly approximately 61 mm on average.         -   Width.—commonly approximately 30 mm on average.         -   Apex.—acute.         -   Base.—acute.         -   Margin.—entire.         -   Texture.—glabrous and non-glandular.         -   Color.—Green Group 137B on the upper (adaxial) surface, and             Green Group 138B on the under (abaxial) surface. -   Flowers:     -   -   Time.—mid-season, at Almonte, Huelva, Spain, with first             flower commonly at approximately January 10^(th), and 50             percent bloom at approximately February 10^(th).         -   Number.—commonly approximately 6 flowers per bud on average.         -   Petals.—5 in number and fused into a corolla tube.         -   Fertility.—commonly not self-fertile.         -   Fragrance.—none. -   Fruit:     -   -   Time.—commonly from approximately April 20th to May 30^(th)             at Almonte, Huelva, Spain (i.e., approximately 6 weeks).         -   Shape.—generally flattened-round.         -   Height.—commonly approximately 13 mm on average.         -   Width.—commonly approximately 19 mm on average.         -   Weight.—approximately 3.03 g/berry on average when plants             were 4 years of age.         -   Fruit scar.—approximately 1.25 mm in size, and dry.         -   Seed number.—commonly approximately 17 per berry on average.         -   Seed size.—commonly approximately 1.1 mm in length and             approximately 0.7 mm in width on average.         -   Immature color.—commonly near Green Group 130D with bloom             and Yellow-Green Group 145B without bloom.         -   Mature color.—light blue, Violet Blue Group 97B to 97C with             bloom and Black Group 202A without bloom.         -   Productivity.—abundant, approximately 3.44 Kg/plant on             average when plants were 4 years of age.         -   Flavor.—displays a pleasant acid blueberry flavor. -   Development:     -   -   Ability to store.—the fruit stores well under refrigeration,             when stored at 8° C. approximately 95 percent of the berries             are of good quality 7 days after harvest, and when stored at             20° C. approximately 75 percent of the berries are of good             quality 7 days after harvest.         -   Disease tolerance.—no special sensitivity to common             Blueberry diseases. such as Leaf Rust (Pucciniastrum             vaccinii) and Botrytis (Botrytis cinerea) has been             encountered during observations to date at Almonte, Huelva,             Spain. During observations to date the new cultivar is less             susceptible to Leaf Rust than the ‘Blue Crisp’ cultivar, and             is more susceptible to Stem Blight than the ‘Star’ cultivar.         -   Insects.—is susceptible to aphids and thrips.         -   Cultural conditions.—is well suited for evergreen management             under tunnels or open-air deciduous management with machine             harvest.

Plants of the ‘Alba’ cultivar have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions to date, Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotypic expression may vary somewhat with changes in light intensity and duration, cultural practices, and other environmental conditions without variance in the genotype. 

1. A new and distinct Blueberry plant that possess the following combination of characteristics: (a) flowers and forms fruit at mid-season, (b) displays a generally upright growth habit with attractive evergreen foliage, (c) commonly requires cross pollination for good fruit set and quality, (d) displays a low chilling requirement, and (e) forms in abundance attractive firm light blue flattened-round berries that exhibit a pleasant acid blueberry flavor; substantially as herein shown and described. 